


Second Chances: Pressure

by callboxkat



Series: Second Chances [3]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-18
Updated: 2019-01-18
Packaged: 2019-10-12 02:49:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17459183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/callboxkat/pseuds/callboxkat
Summary: It was odd, Roman thought, how much his life had changed in the past couple of days. Two days ago, he had been just another dirty homeless man: friendless, jobless, and all but hopeless. Now, things were looking up: Roman had a place to stay, with a former high school rival and his very kind boyfriend. Life from then on wasn’t all hugs and movie marathons, though. Logan had a sister, Val, who was understandably less than keen to have a homeless male stranger staying in her house.Roman has to try to pull his life back together, find a job, and somehow convince Valerie that he should n't be kicked back onto the streets.





	Second Chances: Pressure

**Author's Note:**

> Some of the most valuable gems form under high pressure.

It was odd, Roman thought, how much his life had changed in the past couple of days.

Two days ago, he had been just another dirty homeless man: friendless, jobless, and all but hopeless. He’d been kicked out from the only homeless shelter in the city and even banned from staying in the local park, whose gazebo was apparently a place where Roman couldn’t spend the night without “disturbing the peace”. He’d been reduced to digging through trash cans for food and wandering the city at all hours of the night because he had nowhere to go. No business, not even a library or supermarket, wanted a homeless man loitering inside, and as the incident in the park demonstrated, he wasn’t welcome to stay anywhere outside, either.

Now, things were looking up: Roman had a place to stay, with a former high school rival and his very kind boyfriend, a pre-veterinarian student who was as fond of hugs as he was of animals. Despite their less than amicable relationship in the past, Logan was letting Roman stay in their guestroom, eat their food, and just generally intrude on their lives. Even more incomprehensible to the formerly homeless man, the two were so far asking for nothing in return. It was strange, and rather overwhelming, but quite a positive change for Roman.

The very next day after Logan discovered Roman foraging in his trashcan—a rather undignified way to make their reacquaintance—Logan and Patton had trusted Roman to stay alone in their house, just spending the day relaxing. Being homeless was hard on a person, and Roman had needed the rest. That night, when the two boyfriends had returned home, they and their houseguest had spent much of the evening catching Roman up on the Disney movies that had been released while he was living on the streets. The whole situation was an almost overwhelming change for the better.

It wasn’t all hugs and movie marathons, though.

When Logan had invited Roman to stay at his home, it wasn’t only he and his boyfriend who lived there. Logan had a sister, Val, who was understandably less than keen to have a homeless male stranger staying in her house. She had left the house entirely, going to stay with a friend for the time being. Roman didn’t know how long she would be gone. Probably until her brother wised up and kicked Roman back out onto the streets.

Roman was also still working on getting a job. It was hard to know where to start: he hadn’t worked in a while, and although he was sure Logan would lend him some clothes to wear to an interview, Roman wasn’t sure how he would manage to get one of those in the first place. His resume wouldn’t exactly be impressive once he actually put one together. Which was what he planned to do today.

It was the day after the impromptu Disney marathon. Roman didn’t sleep in quite as late as the day before; in fact, he could still hear movement downstairs. Patton had already left a note for him on the dresser, but he skipped reading that for the moment and instead just made his way downstairs, entering the kitchen when Logan and Patton were just finishing their breakfast.

“Oh, hi Roman! Good morning.” Patton said, noticing him first, as he went to put away the orange juice.

“Morning.” Roman mumbled, still a little sleepy, as he shoved his hands in his pockets. Consequently, the greeting came out sounding more like ‘morng’.

“Would you like some breakfast?” Logan asked, at the same time Patton opened his mouth again, probably about to make a similar offer. The latter broke off with a smile.

“Um... I thought you had to leave?” Roman pointed out.

“That is correct,” Logan admitted. “Although I believe we can spare a few minutes.” He glanced at the clock to be sure, then nodded.

Patton perked up. “I’ll make you some pancakes! We have some batter left. Do you like pancakes?”

“Um, sure.”

While Patton worked on that, Logan set the maple syrup and butter back on the counter; and he went to fetch a plate and some silverware for Roman. Meanwhile, Roman just slowly sat down in one of the chairs, not sure what else to do with himself.

Patton had a bit of flour in his hair when he set a gently steaming plate in front of Roman.

“Okay, we really do have to go now,” he giggled, pulling Roman into a quick (yet absolutely divine) hug before he grabbed Logan’s hand and pulled his boyfriend towards the front door. Logan gave him a quick wave good-bye as he was towed away.

“Have a good day!”

There was a brief pause. Then, just as the door shut, Roman finally choked out, “You too.”

He still wasn’t quite sure how to react to all of this. All this charity, especially since it was _Logan_ offering it to him, was disconcerting. He still had to work out how he felt. But for now, he supposed, he might as well just eat his pancakes.

When he was done with that, Roman cleaned off his plate and fork, put everything away, and went back upstairs. He showered and got dressed—thankfully, today he got to wear a spare set of his own clothes that he had had in his backpack, freshly washed, rather than another outfit of Logan’s. He still had a towel around his shoulders when he picked up the note that Patton had left for him. It was pretty similar to the one from the day before, just wishing him a good morning and assuring him that he could make himself at home. A couple of dad jokes were snuck in today, which made Roman crack a smile. At the end, there was a postscript.

_PS: Logan wanted me to tell you that he set you up an account on the desktop. The password is Princey for now but you can change it to whatever you want!_

Roman sighed in relief. He’d brought up his idea to work on his resume to Logan late last night, but even so, he hadn’t wanted to make any assumptions and just use their computer while the couple was away. He’d forgotten to ask about it again this morning, but clearly, Logan had remembered. That nerd.

So, Roman spent the morning creating and editing his resume. After that, he decided to see if there was anything he could do around the house, to somehow help out, before he started looking for potential jobs. He could dust, or vacuum, or something. His feet still hurt, sure, but he wasn’t as tired as he had been the previous two days. And he really did want to make himself useful. Or, he supposed, it was more of a need than a want. He _needed_ to not be dead weight.

…

Logan unlocked the front door of his house, pausing to pick up the grocery bags at his feet before pushing it open with his hip.

“Hey, Roman?” he called out. “Are you here?”

There was a shuffle, and then footsteps. Logan looked up to see the formerly homeless man approaching.

“Yeah, what’s—oh,” he said, seeing the grocery bags. “Need some help?”

“Yes, please,” Logan sighed. He set the four bags he was carrying on the counter and turned to head out the door. “Would you mind starting to put some of that away? I have more bags in the car.”

“Uh, yeah, sure.”

“Thank you,” Logan said, turning and walking back out. He left the door open, so it would be easier to get back in with the rest of the bags. When he did return, Roman was almost done putting away the contents of the first bag. He didn’t know where the new items fit with their organization system, Logan knew, but as long as the frozen foods didn’t thaw out on the countertop and everything was put away in an orderly manner, he would be pleased.

“I will return momentarily,” Logan said, setting the remaining bags down.

Roman made a noise in his throat as a response. Logan walked off towards the bathroom, but he paused on the way, standing in the living room. Because of Logan’s distaste for germs, his home was always very clean, but nevertheless, it appeared to be even more pristine than when he had left this morning. He had already noticed that Roman had gone ahead and washed all the dishes and pans from breakfast, as well as wiping down the counters, but since he had been focused on not dropping any of the overfilled grocery bags, he hadn’t realized that Roman had taken similar action in the living room, too. The books on the shelves seemed to have been straightened and ordered to a nearly obsessive degree, and the blankets across the back of the sofa had been refolded. The throw pillows were fluffed and carefully placed. The effect was like something out of a home living magazine.

Logan wasn’t sure whether to feel touched by the effort, or dejected that Roman felt that such action was necessary.

…

Roman shut the freezer door, jumping when it revealed Logan standing right behind it, less than a foot away from him.

“What the hell, Specs?” he cried, clutching his chest.

Logan looked confused at Roman’s alarm. “Oh, my apologies.”

“Any particular reason you decided to scare me half to death?”

“I was merely on my way back to the kitchen. You just happened to close the door at the wrong moment,” Logan pointed out.

Roman sighed, turning back to the grocery bags. “Okay, fine, whatever.”

Logan moved to his side and started helping Roman to empty the bags. “How are you feeling?” he asked, reaching up to place a couple of boxes of tea bags in a cabinet.

“Marvelous,” Roman replied, looking over with a small smile.

“And your feet?”

“…Fine,” Roman said, less cheerfully. Sure, straightening up the house had taken a while, even though it had already been freakishly clean, but he was fine. His feet were sore, yes, but still considerably less so than they would be if he’d had to spend the day wandering the city. Again.

Logan looked him up and down, but thankfully, he just continued to help empty the grocery bags.

“Patton should be home earlier tonight,” he said conversationally.

“Oh?”

“Mhm. This is the last week of his summer courses. I believe he only has a couple of tests and lab exams left. Once those are out of the way, he’ll be free until the fall, when his senior year starts.”

“Why’s he taking summer courses, anyway?” Roman asked, folding up the reusable grocery bags that had already been emptied.

“He wanted to get a head start, so to speak, so that his last year as an undergraduate will have a lighter course load.” Logan smiled lightly. “Although, I believe a significant factor is his love of his work. He loves to help animals, and the program he is involved with includes work with local veterinary clinics and animal shelters.”

“Oh, wow, that’s great,” Roman said, honestly impressed. “Good for him.” He settled himself down in one of the kitchen chairs as Logan put away the grocery bags. Once he sat down in a nearby chair, Roman asked, “So, uh… what are you up to these days?”

“Well, right now I am sitting in my kitchen, talking to you.”

Roman shook his head, fighting the urge to roll his eyes in amusement. He knew Logan wasn’t really that oblivious. “Was that a joke? I didn’t know you made jokes.”

Logan offered a sly grin.

“I meant, you know, in general. Like how Patton’s going to school to be a vet.”

“Ah. Well, employment-wise, I work at a library in town most days.”

“Did you go to college?”

“Yes, but only for my bachelor’s degree. I double-majored in English and psychology, with a minor in astronomy.”

“Astronomy?”

The corner of Logan’s mouth quirked up. “I took quite a few classes purely out of interest, so there came a point when it was simply nonsensical to _not_ add the qualification.”

Roman nodded. That made sense, he supposed, picking at a loose thread in his jeans.

Logan glanced at the time on the digital clock over the stove. He tapped his fingers absently on the countertop. Roman wondered if he was aware of it.

“How was your day?” Logan asked after a moment, looking back at him.

…

Roman was still picking at that spot on his jeans. Had Logan done something to make him uncomfortable? He hoped he hadn’t. Logan would hate for them both to be discomforted. He himself was already in a bit of an awkward spot. Based on the flow of their conversation so far, Logan had nearly instinctively asked about Roman’s own college years. Something that, judging by his current situation, probably hadn’t happened. His next thought, of course, was to ask what he _had_ been up to, but he guessed that that might be no less of a dangerous topic to bring up.

So, he settled on the fairly bland, “How was your day?”

“Good,” Roman nodded. Logan was beginning to be concerned that he would put a new hole in his jeans, which were already quite frayed at the hems, and torn at one knee.

“Did you do anything… ah, interesting?”

“If you find writing a resume interesting,” Roman shrugged. “No luck actually finding a job, though, surprise, surprise.”

“I am certain you will come across something suitable in the near future.”

“Thanks, I guess,” he sighed.

“Roman.” Logan fixed him with a serious look. “Something will come along. Just give it time.”

…

The next few days passed in much the same manner. Roman would wake up, eat breakfast with Patton and Logan if they hadn’t already left for the day, do some job hunting, and do what he could to help out around the house until they returned from their own jobs and classes.

About a week went by with no luck in Roman’s job hunt before he caught a break. In the end, it wasn’t even he who found the job—Patton found it for him.

He knew something was different that afternoon—Patton showed up at the house practically bouncing up and down with barely-contained excitement. At first, Roman had assumed it was just because Patton had done well on one of his tests, but apparently there was more to the story.

Patton came straight up to him as soon as he put away his school things. Roman, who had been scrolling through job listings, was a bit surprised when Patton all but put himself between Roman and the screen until he turned around. Patton was grinning eagerly.

“Uh, hey, Pat,” Roman had said, confused. While Patton did always greet him and often offer a hug almost as soon as he got home, he wasn’t usually so obtrusive in interrupting Roman’s job search.

“Hey, kiddo! Sorry, I just got a bit eager!” Patton told him once he had the older man’s attention. “Sooo, I know you’ve been looking for a job, and I did a little asking around--,”

“Patton, you didn’t have to do that,” Roman interrupted.

“—and I think I might have found you something! It’s at a café, working for a friend of a friend of mine.”

Roman’s mouth opened slightly. “Really?”

“Yeah! My friend’s talking to him this afternoon, but—” Patton tapped his foot against Roman’s “—you should be a shoe-in!

Roman smiled, although he was unable to stop the sinking feeling in his chest. It wasn’t a sure deal. Patton seemed to think it was, but that clearly wasn’t the case. Roman’s luck might not hold out with this possibility. And since when had Roman had anything resembling good luck?

Patton looked so eager, though, so Roman did his best to hide his misgivings.

“What kind of job is it?” he asked.

“It’s a barista job. You wouldn’t have to work by yourself, either—there’s another kiddo who works the same shifts. My friend says she’s heard they can be a bit grumpy, but they’re really a sweetheart when you get to know them.”

“Oh.”

“You’ll have to give him your resume, of course, and he’ll probably want to interview you, too,” he admitted.

“That’s no problem,” Roman assured.

“Great! I’ll let you know what my friend says.”

Whether or not this actually worked out, Roman couldn’t help but melt at how excited Patton was to help him. “Thank you, Patton. Truly.”

…

Roman tugged at his necktie, unused to its weight. He wasn’t a huge fan of having things tied around his neck, not even scarves, so he usually avoided wearing things like this. But he looked very professional, according to Logan, and if Patton’s happy hand flapping was anything to go by, he also approved. Roman himself had to admit, looking in the bathroom mirror, that he did look rather dashing. He was wearing a plain gray dress shirt, a blue tie, and dark slacks (all Logan’s). Patton had taken him to buy some shoes for the occasion, since he didn’t share a size with either of them, although Roman had insisted on getting them second-hand.

He had an interview today for the job that Patton had found for him. Logan was coming to get him in a few minutes, to bring him downtown. It was an easily walkable distance, especially now that his feet had improved, but Logan had insisted. Roman had agreed to it, if for no other reason than because this would guarantee that he still looked presentable once he arrived.

Logan had assured him that he could continue looking for other positions should he want to work somewhere else, but that this was an excellent opportunity in the meantime. Roman, however, didn’t mind that it was just a barista job in a coffee shop. He would probably be happy finding work anywhere.

…

Roman stepped out onto the sidewalk and let out a breath he hadn’t known he was holding. The interview had gone surprisingly well, he thought. Maybe. Had it gone well? Roman thought so, but perhaps he had messed up in some way he was unaware of. Maybe the interviewer actually hated him and was just really good at hiding it.

Ugh, why had Roman even bothered to do this? No one in their right mind would ever want to hire him. Not when they had literally any other option.

Roman screwed his eyes shut for a second, trying to stop the spiral his thoughts were currently going down. He let out a breath, shoving his hands in his pockets as he paced up and down the block.

The interview _had_ gone well. The interviewer had been smiling when he shook Roman’s hand at the end of it. Roman hadn’t mentioned anything about being homeless or not having a car, and the interviewer hadn’t asked about the gap in his employment. He’d followed all the advice that Logan had given him. Towards the beginning of the interview, he’d felt almost as if he were being suffocated, but he did his best to come across as confident and charming. It was a good thing he was an actor. Eventually, that confidence became more real as the nerves wore off. They were just making a reappearance now because he didn’t know the result yet.

Logan’s car pulled up to the curb and Roman forced himself to stop pacing. The passenger side door popped open and Patton emerged. He approached Roman and took his hands. He hadn’t missed the pacing, or the slightly panicked look that Roman was sure was in his eyes.

“Hey, kiddo! What’s wrong? Did it go okay?”

Roman swallowed and forced himself to nod. “Yeah—uh, yeah,” he said, looking up as another car door shut. Logan was walking over to join them on the sidewalk.

“Then what’s wrong?”

“Just—I’m just a bit nervous is all,” he admitted sheepishly.

“That is understandable,” Logan said. He casually linked his arm with Patton’s. “Are you ready to go?”

Roman nodded, and they all got back in the car. Roman sat in the back, looking out the window thoughtfully.

Once they got back to the house, Logan helped him draft an email to the interviewer to thank him for the opportunity. Roman hadn’t heard of doing such a thing before, but Logan asserted that it was a good idea.

“It is not technically a requirement, of course,” Logan said, “but it will help you to stand out among any other candidates and convey the interest that you hold in obtaining the position.”

Roman couldn’t argue with that.

…

Early that evening, Logan received a call from his sister. Patton, with whom he had been having a conversation at the time, insisted that he take it now rather than wait. Logan smiled gratefully, kissed him on the cheek, and went into their bedroom to take the call.

“Hello, Val,” he answered.

“Hi Logan.”

“How are you?”

“I’m alright…. Logan, I think we both know why I called.”

“Yes. Roman is still here.”

He heard a sigh on the other end.

“I understand that you do not like having a stranger in our house, and I know that I should have asked both you and Patton before I invited him to stay. However, I do believe that if you met him, you would understand that he is completely harmless. He has been nothing but gentlemanly since he arrived here. He is trying very hard to turn his life around. He even had a job interview today.”

“I don’t know, Lo….”

“What if we all had dinner together? You could come over tonight. Bring your friend if you like. You can meet Roman properly.”

“And if I decide I still don’t want him in our house?”

Logan let out a sigh. “Then we can look into finding him other accommodations. A hotel, perhaps. However, I refuse to kick him back out onto the streets.” He waited for a second. “Can we expect you for dinner?”

There was a short pause as Valerie thought it over. “Okay,” she finally agreed. “I’ll be there at seven.”

…

Roman hadn’t meant to eavesdrop.

He’d been bringing the clothes he had borrowed for the interview back to Patton’s and Logan’s room, and had been about to knock on the door when he heard Logan’s voice floating through it. He was about to turn around and come back later, when Logan wasn’t clearly on the phone; but when he heard his name come up, Roman froze.

He couldn’t help but stand there, stiff, listening to Logan’s half of the phone conversation. It sounded like someone was coming over for dinner… but that Logan was also considering putting him in a hotel rather than allowing him to remain here. A small sting of hurt went through Roman’s chest. He understood, he really did, and it was so kind of Logan to consider putting him in a hotel at all and not just back on the street. So, why was he disappointed?

He didn’t take long to dwell. Roman knew that the phone call had ended, so he only waited a second before knocking on the door, trying to seem like he had only just gotten there.

…

Logan slid his phone into his pocket. “Come in,” he called.

The door cracked open, revealing Roman standing there with a carefully folded stack of clothes.

“I thought you might want these back,” he said, indicating the clothes in his arms.

“Yes,” Logan said. “Of course. Thank you. I can take those.” He walked over and retrieved the clothes from Roman’s arms, setting them on the dresser. He stood there for a moment, then turned around to see that Roman hadn’t moved. “Did you need something else?”

“No, no, I just… Thanks. For driving me to the interview today. And for, uh, everything.”

Logan regarded him for a second. “You’re welcome,” he said.

Roman turned to go, but Logan held out a hand. “Wait.”

Roman stopped. Something flashed in his eyes, but it was gone before Logan could identify it. “What is it?”

“Valerie is going to be coming over for dinner,” Logan said. “I dislike that she feels the need to stay away from home so long.”

Roman averted his gaze.

“So, my hope is that if she meets you in person, properly, she might change her mind about you and return.”

Roman looked back up, skeptical. “Do you think that’s likely?”

“I have to try,” Logan said. “She is my sister. I cannot ignore her feelings, although I will attempt once more to change them.”

Roman nodded slowly. “Thanks for the heads up,” he said, perhaps a little stiffly, and left.

…

Roman had thought that the coffee shop job interview had been stressful. What a joke. This put much more pressure on him. He thought he might be crushed by it.

Logan and Val were using one single dinner to decide whether they were going to allow him to stay, or whether they were just going to stick him in a hotel room and say, “good luck!” He would have somewhere to stay, that was true, but no internet access, fewer affordable and decent meals, less contact with Patton and Logan to ask for advice and borrow clothes from for interviews. If he was stuck in a hotel and he didn’t get the barista job, Roman couldn’t help but feel like he was doomed. He would end up right back on the street as soon as they inevitably tired of paying the hotel bill. Up until that point, however far in the future that may be, that situation would still be infinitely better than what he’d had before Logan decided to take pity on him and take him in, but he didn’t want to lose what he had. He… liked Logan. He liked Patton. He liked living with them.

“No pressure, no pressure at all,” he whispered, pacing back and forth in the guest room.

…

It was six thirty at night. Patton stood in the kitchen, stirring a large spoon through a pot of zucchini noodles. They were trying out a new pasta recipe for that night.

He looked over to where Roman stood a few feet away, cutting up tomatoes, garlic, and basil leaves on their cutting board. He looked very concentrated on the task. Patton smiled. Roman was such a thoughtful kiddo, volunteering to help cook when he didn’t have to. He was clearly doing his best to pay him and Logan back for helping him. Patton only hoped that Val would change her mind about him.

Once the noodles were done, Patton strained out the extra water, and Roman put in the vegetables and parmesan cheese. Patton stirred it all together and put it on a serving dish for Roman to carry out to the table.

“Got it?” he asked, not wanting Roman to drop it. The other man nodded, smiled at him, and brought the dish over to the table. Patton grabbed a plate of cookies that he had baked earlier and carried them over there as well. Logan had just finished carefully placing the plates, napkins, and silverware, and walked past them on his way to get the glasses.

Patton set down the cookies, grabbed the drinks from the fridge, and then everything was ready.

The plot convenience of movies would have had Valerie arrive the moment the last dish was in place, but this was not a movie. About fifteen minutes passed between when they finished setting everything up and when Valerie actually arrived. When the knock on the door finally came—brisk, sudden, loud—all three of them jumped.

Logan excused himself, pushed back his chair, and went to get the door. Patton looked at Roman, who looked decidedly nervous. He reached over and took one of his hands under the table, squeezing it reassuringly.

…

Roman shot Patton a grateful look when the latter took his hand. He needed something to break him out of his worried thoughts.

A moment longer passed before Logan returned, tailed by the woman who must have been Valerie. She was tall and thin, with brown eyes and long hair. She was quite pretty, and Roman supposed that if he swung that way he might have found her attractive. She really didn’t look much like Logan, but he could see some resemblance in the curve of their noses, their dark hair, and the shape of their jaws.

He stood up and reached out politely to shake her hand, but she just stared at his hand for a second before looking back up at him. Roman awkwardly lowered his hand and sat back down. She and Logan followed suit.

“Who wants pasta?” Patton asked, clearly trying to lessen the tension in the room. “Roman and I made it ourselves.”

“I would love some, dear,” Logan said, picking up his plate and passing it over.

“So, Val, what have you been up to?” Patton asked while he spooned zucchini noodles onto his boyfriend’s plate.

She sighed. “I’ve been staying with Dahlia. Other than that, just the usual. Work, mostly.”

Patton nodded, taking Roman’s plate to serve him some pasta as well.

“How have your classes been going?” Val offered.

“They’ve been great!” Patton said. “Mind if I take your plate for a sec?” When she handed it over, he continued, “I just love everything about it. I love learning about animals, and I love the work. It’s tough, I guess, and a lot of homework, but it’s definitely worth it.” He smiled brightly, handing back the now full plate, and finally put some pasta on his own dish. He looked at Roman. “Why don’t you tell us about your job interview, Roman?”

Roman jumped upon actually being addressed. He’d been focusing on trying to eat as neatly as possible—he didn’t need Val to think he was a slob. It was bad enough that her first impression of him had been formed while he was passed out on a couch in dirty clothes and looking like he’d never even heard the word ‘shower’.

“Oh… my—my interview?” he repeated dumbly. Patton nodded encouragingly. “Yeah. So, as you and Logan know, it was for that barista job that you so kindly found for me. I think it went quite well, although I cannot help but be nervous. I assure you I did my best to keep in mind the invaluable council that both of you provided me. The interviewer—Bradley, his name was—he seemed to like me. He said that if get the job, I’ll be working with another barista in a store not far from here. I’d be able to walk to work, so neither of you would need to worry about driving me.”

“I hope it works out. You were so nervous,” Patton said.

Roman smiled. “Never fear. No matter the outcome, I will be as glittery as ever.”

“Indeed,” Logan agreed, although Roman was sure he had no idea what Roman meant by ‘glittery’, “more opportunities will present themselves in the future. It would not be the end of the world, if you’ll allow me to hyperbolize, should you not be chosen for this job.”

Roman nodded, smile still in place. He knew that. Rationally, he knew that. And he was trying very hard to believe it.

Val was watching quietly, looking from Roman to Logan to Patton. She twirled a bit of pasta on her fork and took a bite.

“This is really good, Pat,” she said. “You said you made this yourself?”

“Me and Roman!” he clarified cheerfully. “Logan chose the recipe, I made the noodles, and Roman cut up the veggies. He was a great help.” Roman blinked. For some reason, it just struck him then that Patton really did want him there. He could have just confirmed that he had made the pasta, but Patton had chosen to highlight Roman’s contributions as well.

Dinner continued, the conversation gradually growing more natural and comfortable. Roman’s nerves calmed somewhat. Val wasn’t being hostile, not even to him. No one was talking about kicking him out—at least, not yet. She didn’t flinch back in disgust when she asked for the salt and he was the one to hand it over. It still hurt a little that she had refused to shake his hand, and that she sort of went out of her way to avoid touching his hand when she took the salt from him, but Roman told himself that for all he knew, she had an aversion to touch.

For the most part, she seemed to be ignoring his presence. Roman hoped that this was a good thing. She wasn’t openly glaring or anything, which he would take as a win.

After everyone had finished their pasta, Patton insisted that everyone take one of the cookies that he had baked for the occasion.

“I’ll take mine to go, Pat,” Val said, already getting up. “Thank you for inviting me over,” she said to Logan. Roman’s idea about touch aversion was disproven as Logan stood and was pulled into a brief but tight hug. Patton, looking a little disappointed at her departure, went to get a hug next. Releasing him, Valerie turned towards Roman, giving him a tight smile.

“It was… it was good to meet you. Properly, I mean, this time,” she said, her voice a little stiff.

Roman stood up and did a small bow. “It was an honor to meet you, fair lady.”

She looked rather confused at that, and Roman felt a light flush of embarrassment. Okay, maybe that was trying a little too hard. He sounded like he was playing a knight in a high school play or something. But all she did was smile politely, if still stiffly, before choosing a cookie from the plate, wrapping it in a napkin, and departing.

Roman sat back down with a sigh. Patton sat down with him and took his hand, squeezing it gently. “That didn’t go so bad, did it?”

“Badly,” Logan automatically corrected. He was at the kitchen counter, having already grabbed his and Val’s plates from the table.

“Hush,” Patton said. “Or I’ll throw a cookie at you.”

“Sounds delicious.”

“You really think it went well?” Roman asked hesitantly. “She wouldn’t even shake my hand.”

“She’ll come around,” Patton assured.

“Certainly,” Logan agreed, coming back for Patton’s and Roman’s plates. “Allow her to take everything into consideration tonight. Once she has finished ruminating, I am sure she will decide in your favor.”

Roman made a quick mental note to look up the word ‘ruminating’ later. “Thank you, guys,” he said quietly. Patton squeezed his hand again, and then went to help Logan clean up.

…

Early the next morning, Logan received a call on his cell phone. He quickly turned off the ringer. He had already been awake, looking through LinkedIn and checking his email, but Patton had still been fast asleep, his head a comfortable weight on Logan’s chest. Logan reluctantly started to get up and mumbled an apology to his very sleepy boyfriend. Patton just grumbled unhappily at him as his pillow slipped out of the bed.

Logan put on his slippers and walked into the hall to dial the number back. They picked up on the first ring.

“Hey, Logan.”

“Val? What number is this?”

“I’m borrowing Dahlia’s cell. My phone charger broke so mine didn’t charge last night.”

“Ah. May I ask why you are calling so early this morning?”

“I know you’re an early riser. Anyway, I wanted to talk to you.”

…

Patton stirred as Logan returned to bed. He looked up at Logan groggily. He wasn’t sure how long Logan had been gone. It seemed like he had only blinked, and his boyfriend was back.

“Go back to sleep, dear,” Logan whispered, laying down. Patton scooted closer and laid his head back on his chest, putting his arm around Logan’s torso and closing his eyes.

When he woke up again a little later, he could tell Logan was still awake.

“Why’d you leave earlier?” he asked before breaking off to yawn.

“Val called.”

Patton sat up then, looking at Logan as best he could without his glasses. “Wha’d she say?”

“She’s going to come back. Tonight.”

Patton practically melted with relief, a smile growing on his lips. “That’s great! We should tell Roman.”

“We can tell him later. It’s barely eight in the morning.”

“Sounds like a gr- _eight_ time to share good news,” Patton argued.

Logan groaned at the pun. “If you want to tell him, you can, but he will likely desire to sleep in longer.”

Patton whined petulantly, but he knew Logan was right. “Fiiine. You win.” He lay back down, his head once again on Logan’s chest. He made a good pillow.

Around nine, Patton finally went to give Roman the good news. He went down the hall and knocked on the guestroom door, waiting until he heard a soft “Come in” from within. He pushed open the door and saw that Roman was on his knees on the floor with his tattered pink backpack, its contents partially unpacked. It looked like he’d been reorganizing.

“Whatcha up to, kiddo?” Patton asked.

Roman looked sheepish. “I’m sorting through my things. If… if Val decides that she still does not wish to have me here, then I plan to be as prepared as possible. I don’t want to overstay my welcome.”

“Oh, Roman, no,” Patton said, dropping to his knees beside the other man. He pulled him in a hug. “You’re not going anywhere! Val called Logan this morning—that’s what I came to tell you—and she’s coming home. She didn’t say anything about you leaving.”

“Oh,” Roman said, a small, surprised sound. “ _Oh_ ,” he repeated. He sat back on his heels, still with Patton’s arms around him.  “So… that means….”

“You’re staying,” Patton reassured him. His eyes were stinging, a pain in his chest. How had he not realized? Roman had probably been so stressed about this. And Patton and Logan had waited over an hour to tell him the good news. “I’m sorry, kiddo,” he said.

“For what?” Roman asked, sounding genuinely surprised.

Patton released him and sat back, across from him. “For making you think you were going to be kicked out. I’m so sorry, Roman. Val called over an hour ago. We thought you would want to sleep in, but it wasn’t right to make you wait… and I’m so sorry that you’ve had all this pressure on you, with your interview and then the dinner last night… It wasn’t right. I’m sorry.”

Roman shook his head. “Pat, it’s not like you were the one who wanted me to leave. You and Logan have been nothing but kind to me… I don’t know why; I sure as hell don’t deserve it. You don’t have to be sorry.”

“Don’t you put yourself down like that,” Patton said seriously, frowning. “Everyone deserves kindness.”

“Not everyone,” Roman said quietly.

Patton sighed, tilting his head to the side. “Every decent person deserves kindness, then,” he amended. “And you, Roman, are a decent person.”

Roman’s eyes might have become rather misty at this point, but Patton pretended not to notice.

…

Roman and Patton were sitting in the living room together, watching Steven Universe. Patton had been very happy to hear that Roman liked it—Logan, apparently, was confused by the show and was always pointing out how the gems and fusions made no sense from a mineralogical standpoint. Patton was quite excited at the prospect of having someone to watch it with, and of catching Roman up on the more recent seasons.

Since Patton no longer had any classes or tests until the commencement of his senior year in the fall, the two of them had all day to devote to their marathon while Logan was at work. They took a break to get lunch together at a cute little restaurant Patton knew downtown, but other than that, it was a pretty uneventful day until Logan got home.

Logan closed the door behind him and set his bag down with a sigh. He came up behind the couch and leaned over, kissing Patton on the cheek. Roman looked away, not wanting to intrude.

“Have you two moved from this couch at all today?” he asked. Roman could hear the amusement in his voice, barely audible, but noticed by both him and Patton.

“We went out for lunch,” Patton said with an air of someone trying to make excuses.

“Patton’s been helping me catch up,” Roman said, trying to explain why they hadn’t been more productive. “I’d only seen season one before.”

Logan didn’t seem upset that they hadn’t been doing anything better with their time, though. He just looked up at the screen for a second, then back down at them both. “Well, I’m glad that you seem to have enjoyed your day.”

“You could always join us,” Patton offered, which Roman thought was generous given his description of Logan’s dismissal of the show. Boyfriend privileges, he supposed.

“No, I’m going to clean up a bit before Val gets here. She’ll be arriving at five.”

“Need any help?” Roman offered.

“No, no,” Logan assured. “It’s just some light dusting. I have it handled.”

“Just let us know if you change your mind,” Patton said.

While Logan went off and dusted furniture that Roman was sure had already been spotless, he and Patton continued watching Steven Universe.

Valerie arrived five minutes earlier than Logan had expected. Patton hopped up to answer the door since Logan was still upstairs. He insisted on carrying her bag to her room for her. Roman, still sitting in the living room, looked over as they walked past. Valerie glanced in his direction and gave him a small nod before she and Patton disappeared up the stairs.

Roman shifted, turning back towards the television but not quite paying attention to it. He was glad that Valerie had returned. He knew things would still be awkward for a while, but he was sure that they would get better with time. He just had to be willing to wait.

…

The next day, after Roman sitting at the desk in the main room, slowly swiveling his chair from the left to the right as he focused on the computer monitor. It was around two in the afternoon. Logan and Patton were upstairs at the moment, both having the day off, and Val was at work. Roman himself was scrolling distractedly through job listings. Nothing really jumped out at him. A lot of the positions had requirements he didn’t fit, were located too far away, or simply sounded too unappealing even for him. It was frustrating. Every day that passed seemed to add more pressure on him to start looking into the jobs he was avoiding, the minimum wage, menial tasks that no one really wanted to do, so that he could finally have something to try to pay his hosts back with. After a while, getting nowhere, he decided to take a break from the job listings and check his email. He didn’t actually expect to find any new messages waiting for him: the email address was brand new, created for his job search; and he had already checked it earlier in the day. However, when he refreshed the page, one new message came up. It had been sent only ten minutes before. Roman clicked on it and quickly scanned it over. His jaw fell open.

“Logan! Patton!” he cried, shooting out of his chair, suddenly unable to contain himself.  He heard a thud from upstairs, and then Patton and Logan both coming down the staircase.

“What on Earth is it?” Logan asked as he reached the landing. He still had one earbud in, the other dangling over his chest. He was holding the jack in one hand, apparently having simply unplugged them for the sake of speed. He looked bewildered and—oops—slightly alarmed. Patton, coming down the stairs slightly more calmly, stopped at his boyfriend’s side. He was bouncing on his heels like he already knew what Roman was about to say.

Roman’s grin widened, and he spread his arms dramatically. “I got the job!”


End file.
